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Rory McIlroy was perfectly positioned to dominate the final round of the 2026 PGA Championship and take home the Wanamaker Trophy. However, things haven’t been going his way on Sunday. His third shot on the 16th hole was the perfect example of that as it bounced off the fringe and into the bunker. But that’s not what pissed off the Northern Irishman.

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Right after he hit the ball, a spectator screamed at him, trying to get into his head. At first, McIlroy tried to ignore the rowdy heckling as he asked the fan to “shut the f**k up” and walk on his way towards the bunker. But something triggered him as he turned around and pointed at the security with his club and asked them to remove the spectator.

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He had already had a tough round on the course with near misses all day long. McIlroy had multiple putts that could have been birdies but turned into near misses instead. He got a few that went narrowly wide and missed by less than a foot due to a lack of pace or being slightly wide of the target. The most surprising one came only a few holes ago on the 12th when his 44-foot putt fell short of the cup by 11 inches.

The Irish luck hasn’t favored him at all on Sunday. He started the round on 4-under par, and it seems like he is going to end up at the same score at the end of the round. He might fall short of Aaron Rai, who is sitting at the top of the leaderboard at 8-under par, two strokes clear of the field.

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McIlroy also got heckled at Bethpage. But he had a different reaction back then.

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The last time Rory McIlroy got heckled

Back in September 2025, during an intense battle with Team U.S., Rory McIlroy and the rest of the European squad were trashing their adversaries in the doubles contest. As he was about to hit an approach shot during one of the matches, a fan tried to disrupt him during his downswing.

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Even then, McIlroy told him to zip it before continuing with his stroke. After that, he went on to hit an excellent shot, giving his teammate, Tommy Fleetwood, a very easy putt to make in the foursome contest. A day after the incident, the Northern Irishman talked about how well the situation was controlled by the security at Bethpage.

McIlroy told the reporters, “The police out there and the amount of security presence was insane. Look, nothing was going to happen. There wasn’t going to be a physical altercation or anything like that, apart from maybe Tommy and Rosey up to the 16th tee yesterday.”

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Molin Sheth

2,148 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story. Molin comes from a diverse professional background that enriches his coverage. With extensive experience in digital marketing, content management, and quality assurance, he excels at optimizing processes and enhancing user experiences, skills that translate into delivering well-researched, engaging content efficiently. His roles in customer support, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration have honed his problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. This comprehensive skill set allows Molin to approach golf reporting with a unique blend of creativity, analytical rigor, and operational excellence, ensuring his work resonates with both casual fans and serious golf enthusiasts.

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